Eternal Eclipse
by SometimesLifeAintGood
Summary: Jacob and Renesmee are ready to start a new chapter: they're ready to have their own children. This is the story of Jake and Nessie's four kids growing up and falling in love.
1. Annabelle Grace Black

Chapter 1

[Annabelle Grace Black]

"I want this baby out of here." Renesmee Black whined to her husband. She had been carrying around her first child for a month now, and she was ready for the baby to come out.

"I know, Ness," Jacob Black rubbed his wife's arm, trying to calm her down. "But it's only going to be a few more days. You can wait that long, can't you?"

Nessie crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Jacob. She had complained to him so he could comfort her. He wasn't doing a very good job. He looked just as distant and lost in his thoughts as he had been for a while now. After Nessie told him she was pregnant, he seemed to recede more into his own mind. He was constantly dazing off and getting this quite sad-looking expression on his face. Nessie knew what it was about, but Jake never wanted to talk.

"Jake, we need to talk." She shoved all thoughts of wanting her child out of her away. Right now she needed to focus on Jacob. They needed to have this talk; it was long overdue.

"There's nothing to talk about, Ness. Do you need anything?"

"You're not changing the subject on me this time, Jacob Black. We're talking about this whether you like it or not."

Jacob sighed and rubbed his face with his hand. "Honestly, Ness, there is nothing to talk about."

"Yes there is, Jake! You might think I'm oblivious, but I see that look on your face."

"What look," Jacob asked, exasperated.

"That dazed look, just like the one you're wearing now. And don't you even try to give me some lame excuse like you're just overtired or something stupid like that." Jacob smirked slightly; Nessie always knew him too well, even his excuses. "Your look," Nessie continued, a little softer. "gets even worse when someone mentions the baby." Subconsciously, Nessie gently laid her hands on her bulging stomach.

"Nessie," Jake started, but Nessie held up her hand to stop him.

"Let me finish, I need to say this." Jacob hesitated but then nodded. "I know you're scared about the baby, Jake. I am, too. It's natural. I don't see why you don't want to talk about it…or even acknowledge that the fear is there." When Jake said nothing, she went on. "This is our first baby, Jake. I'd think you a fool if you weren't even a little bit scared or worried."

For a minute or so, Jacob did nothing. When he did, he sighed, rubbed his face with his hand again, and then looked at his wife with a pained expression. "What do you want me to say, Ness? That I'm terrified about this baby? That I'm afraid I'm not going to be a good father? That I'm worried I'm going to screw up in some way? You already know all that."

"Why didn't you ever tell me, Jake? We promised to always tell each other everything so we can work things out together…I could have helped you."

"I didn't want your help, Ness." Jacob confessed quietly.

"What, why not," Nessie asked. How could Jake not want her help? They helped each other through everything else.

"Because," Jake paused, took a deep breath. "because I'm supposed to be the strong one, Ness. I'm supposed to be your rock. You're supposed to be able to come to me when you're afraid and worried. I'm not supposed to be the one to fall apart."

"Jake," Nessie moved closer to her husband and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning her head against his chest. Instinctively, Jake wrapped his arms lightly around her waist. "You don't have to be the strong one." She murmured softly into his shirt. "I don't expect you to never get scared. You're only one man. And I'm supposed to be your rock sometimes. We're supposed to be able to confide in each other, so don't you ever not tell me you're afraid again."

Smiling, Jacob tightened his hold on Nessie. He fell in love with her all over again in that moment. She always knew exactly what to say. And she was right, of course. They were supposed to be there for each other. He just didn't want her to think he was weak. Plus, she was already worried enough with her own fears about the baby. She didn't really need his added to that mix. But now that everything was out in the open, they were ready to move on. Even though they were both afraid, they'd handle this baby, together.

"I'm glad we had this talk," Jake confessed into Nessie's hair.

"Me too."

For a while, it was silent, and then Nessie pulled away with a strange look on her face.

"Ness, is everything okay?"

"No, Jake, I-I think the baby is coming."

They had planned for this moment, gone over it plenty on their own and with Nessie's family. But now that the moment was actually here, Jacob was freaking out. He didn't know which way was up and which way was down. He could barely get his thoughts together long enough to help Nessie out to the car and drive her to the Cullen's main house. When they got there, he was practically useless. The only support he was able to offer Nessie was his hand that she could squeeze as tightly as she wanted to.

X~X~X

"She's so beautiful," Renesmee breathed as Carlisle Cullen gently laid her newborn daughter in her arms.

"She looks just like you, Ness." Jake offered. After his daughter was born, he had become functional again.

Nessie smiled up at her father, Edward Cullen. "She has your human eyes, Dad." Edward smiled and nodded; Nessie smiled back and then shifted her eyes again to her daughter. "Where did she get the freckles from, though?"

"My mother had freckles." Edward answered, a small smile on his lips. The thought that his granddaughter had inherited his mother's freckles filled him with joy. He didn't remember much about his human life, but he did remember that his mother's freckles had always been his favorite part of her. They had given her character.

Nessie was just as excited that her beautiful daughter had gotten something from her late great-grandmother. "They look gorgeous on her."

"They do," Edward agreed.

"What are you naming her?" Bella Cullen asked. She would love to just fawn over how beautiful her granddaughter was for the rest of the day, but she did not want to always be calling her 'granddaughter'.

Nessie smiled and looked up at her husband; he also wore a smile and nodded at her. They had already discussed names. Or really, Nessie had chosen a few she liked and Jacob had distractedly helped her narrow the list down to one name for a girl and one name for a boy. "Annabelle Grace Black."

"Perfect," Bella smiled proudly at her daughter and then lovingly down at her granddaughter. "She's perfect."

"Yes she is," Jacob agreed.


	2. Benjamin Michael & Ashleigh Amber Black

Chapter 2

[Benjamin Michael and Ashleigh Amber Black]

Renesmee was in the kitchen, concentrating on cutting the tomatoes she had bought that afternoon. She was making Jacob's favorite dinner: steak. She had been preparing steak for him since she had learned how to cook. However, Annabelle didn't quite like the taste of steak. Anna was the reason Nessie had started serving a salad before the steak and baked potatoes with the steak.

Glancing up at the window above the kitchen counter, a smiled graced Nessie's lips. She had the perfect view of Jake and Anna, who were running around in the backyard. Anna had turned four just a few months ago, though she was starting to look about five-years-old. The vampire gene in Anna caused her to physically look older and to mentally and emotionally feel older than she was. The small werewolf part of her, however, slowed down the ageing, so she only looked about one year older than she actually was.

Outside, Jacob was oblivious to his wife watching from the kitchen. His only focus at the moment was Anna. His four-year-old daughter had talked him into playing tag with her. Currently, he was 'it' and she was running from as fast as her little legs could carry her. Because of him being a werewolf, Jacob could have caught Anna in the first few seconds of the game, but where was the fun in that?

Laughing, Jake leaned down, reached his arms out, and pulled Anna into his arms and down to the ground. He rolled over and held her on top of his chest, wrapping his arms around her small back. "I caught you, Anna."

Anna giggled and leaned her head against Jake's chest. "You cheated."

"I did not," Jake defended himself.

"Did too," Anna countered, nodding.

Jacob just shook his head, although a smile was on his face. Becoming a parent had changed him, somewhat. He wasn't as carefree as he used to be. He could no longer just go out on a Friday night with his packmates and not come back until Saturday afternoon. He had to grow up and be responsible for another life. Things might have changed for him, but he wouldn't do anything over. He loved Anna with all his heart, and so did Nessie. They were great parents together and they were raising a wonderful family.

"We should get inside, Anna. I'm sure Mommy's going to have dinner ready soon."

Anna nodded and climbed off of Jake's chest, tripping over a fallen branch. Being the daughter of a half-vampire and a werewolf, she had the balance to catch herself before she fell to the grass. She smiled at her father as he pulled himself up from the ground, and then raised her arms. Jacob chuckled and picked Anna up in his arms, carrying her inside.

When they walked into the house, the scent of baked potatoes and steak filled their noses. Nessie rounded the corner and then smiled at them.

"I was just coming to get you two."

Jake shrugged and put Anna on the floor; she went over to Nessie, gave her a hug, and then danced into the kitchen. "I figured you would have dinner ready soon. I didn't want to keep you waiting."

Nessie smiled and then closed the distance between her and her husband. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her closer to him by her waist. They shared a gentle, yet passionate kiss. Nessie loved the fact that after six years of being married, they still acted as if they had just fallen in love.

When they broke apart, Jake knelt down and laid a small kiss against Nessie's bulging stomach. "How are my babies doing?"

Nessie smiled. She was pregnant again and due any day. This time, though, she was bigger than she was when she had Anna. She had been slightly concerned, so she went to Carlisle. He had told her there was nothing to be worried about, she was only having twins. Of course, the thought of having twins worried her. Just like when she went for check-ups when she was pregnant with Anna, Carlisle asked her if she wanted to know their genders. But she had declined. She and Jake always wanted to be surprised. "We're fine, but very hungry."

Jake laughed, draped an arm around Nessie's shoulder, and the two of them walked into the kitchen. Anna was already sitting at the table, waiting for them. Jake laid a soft kiss to the top of Nessie's head and then sat down at the table, next to Anna. Smiling, Nessie started getting the plates ready for her family. She loved calling them that. First, she arranged a plate with just a baked potato on it. Next to that potato, she placed a small bowl of salad. She laid the bowl in front of Anna, and her smile widened when Anna's eyes sparkled. Next, she arranged her and Jake's plates. Both plates had a baked potato and a steak. They also had bowls of salad, but they didn't fit on the plate. Nessie sat next to her husband and they began their family dinner, which consisted mostly of Anna chattering.

X~X~X

"One more," Anna asked. It had become routine for Jake and Nessie to read Anna a bedtime story. Tonight was Jake's turn, and just like with every other night, Anna was trying to convince him to read her a second story.

"Anna, you know the rules: one story and then bedtime."

Anna pouted and crossed her arms over her chest; Jacob sighed. He knew this game all too well. Anna would ask for a second story, he would say no, and she would try to get him to give in. They did this almost every night. Jacob didn't mind too much, not as much as Nessie. This little game always seemed to tire Anna out. And she never argued with her parents over anything else. It was always just the story. Tonight, however, Jake was too tired to play Anna's game.

"Anna, please, I don't want to do this tonight. Daddy needs to sleep."

Anna's face softened and she laid her small hand on Jake's arm. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Anna," He smiled at her to emphasize his words. "I just need to sleep." When Anna didn't look convinced, he quickly added: "Don't worry about me, Anna. I'll be all right."

The pout found its way back onto Anna's face. "I hate when you do that."

"Do what?"

"Tell me you'll be all right when there's something going on. And don't tell me nothing's going on. I can see it on your face." Jake had to smile. His four-year-old daughter was too smart for her own good.

"Anna, the only thing going on is that I need to sleep." The pout was still there. "Hey," Anna looked into his eyes, her pout fading away slightly. "you're my girl."

Anna smiled now. Jacob calling Anna his 'girl' had become something quite special to her. She was his baby, but he was always calling Nessie 'baby'. She had wanted to be called something special and her own, so Jake started calling her his 'girl'. "And you're my guy."

Jake smiled, kissed the top of Anna's head, and then gently laid her back in her bed. He pulled her pink covers up to her chin and tucked her in nice and tight, just the way she liked it. "Goodnight, Anna. I love you."

"'Night, Daddy," Anna yawned. "I love you, too."

Jacob smiled, kissed Anna's forehead, and then left the room, turning the lights off as he went. He made his way down the hall, towards the master bedroom. When he walked in, Nessie was lying on the bed, a magazine in her hand. He climbed onto the bed next to her and draped his arm over her waist.

"Anna asleep," Nessie asked, closing the magazine and placing into on her bedside table.

"Yeah," Jake sighed.

"Tired?"

"Very," Jake mumbled into his pillow. Lately, he'd had to run patrol more and more. The lack of sleep was starting to take a toll on him.

Before Nessie could open her mouth to tell her husband that he should get some sleep, and she'd stay up a little longer in case Anna needed something, something hit her. It was a terrible sensation, but familiar. "Jake."

"What?"

"The babies are coming."

Jake was in action before Nessie could blink. He was off the bed and grabbing his car keys and whatever else he would need. Soon, he was coming up on Nessie's side of the bed. "Let's get you to Carlisle, Ness."

"But…Anna," Nessie panted out.

"Shit," Jake turned away from Nessie and grabbed his cell phone. Quickly, he called Edward and Bella and told them Nessie's water broke. They said they'd be right over to watch Anna and they should just head to Carlisle; they wouldn't be long and Anna was asleep, nothing would happen.

X~X~X

"They're tiny," Anna said upon seeing her baby brother and sister. Bella and Edward had brought to the Cullen's main house just minutes ago.

Nessie chuckled and glanced down at the baby in her arms. "They're newborns, Anna. They're supposed to be tiny."

"Which one is which?" She asked. They were identical twins, she couldn't tell them apart, even if one was a boy and one was a girl.

"Well, this is your sister and that's your brother." Jake asked, gently rocking his new daughter in his arms.

"What are you naming them?" Bell asked.

"Well, we're naming him Benjamin Michael and we're naming her Ashleigh Amber." Nessie replied, smiling.

Bella smiled and gazed between her newest grandchildren. "They have your eyes, Nessie." Nessie smiled up at her mother. Bella smiled back and then looked at Jacob. "And your skin tone."

"I hope that's not going to be a problem." Edward mused.

"It won't be," Jake mumbled down at Ashleigh. She won't be a werewolf, he just knew it. She won't have to go through any pain, he'll make sure of it.


	3. Briana Madeleine Black

Chapter 3

[Briana Madeleine]

"Jake, you need to go get Anna." Renesmee reminded her husband, walking into her two-year-old twins' room. Jacob was rocking Ashleigh in the rocking chair, trying to get her down for her nap.

"I know, Ness." Jake answered. "I'm going to leave just as soon as Ashleigh falls asleep." Nessie nodded and shifted feet; Jake eyed her for a second and then returned his attention to the little girl in his arms. "You should go lay back down, Nessie."

"I'm fine." Nessie had been lying around all day and she was sick of it. She needed to get up and walk around, at least for a little.

"Nessie, Carlisle wants you in bed." Jake gently reminded her.

Nessie was currently pregnant with their fourth child. Carlisle wasn't sure how healthy that was or if Nessie's body would be able to care for a fourth half-vampire/werewolf child, so he had ordered her on bed rest. However, being the stubborn girl Nessie was, she was hardly ever on bed rest. She was always finding some excuse to get up. But seeing as Nessie was due any day, Jake was being very strict with the bed rest. If he had anything to do with it, nothing would happen to his precious wife and child.

Rolling her eyes, Nessie turned back to the door. She put her hand on the doorframe, and turned her head around to look Jake in the eye. "I'll go be a good girl and lie down."

"Thank you," Jake smiled then looked back down at Ashleigh; she was almost asleep.

"But you do need to get going soon. You know how Anna gets when you're late."

Jake had to smile at that. Anna was six now and more punctual than he would have liked. She hated being late and got on your case when you were late. Anna had already given Jacob four lectures for not being at her school to pick her up right when the bell rang. He found it quite ridiculous, but it was something Anna was passionate about, so he would never say anything to her.

Jake nodded at Nessie, telling her that he would head out shortly. Nodding, Nessie left the twins' room and headed back down the hall to the master bedroom. She lied back down and decided to pass the time with a nap. Meanwhile, Jake rocked Ashleigh for a little longer, just to make sure she would stay asleep. After he laid Ashleigh down, he left the house and was on his way to go pick up Anna.

X~X~X

When Jacob pulled up at Anna's school, Forks Elementary, the bell had already rung. He cursed slightly to himself—Anna was going to have his head for this. When he was able to pull up to the sidewalk to wait for her, he already saw her waiting for him. She had her head hung and was staring at her feet. He pulled up in front of her and rolled down the passenger side window.

"Anna, I am so sorry I'm late. Ashleigh wouldn't fall asleep for her nap." Jake exclaimed, but Anna said nothing. She just climbed into the backseat with her head still hung. "Anna?"

She didn't look up. "Can we just go home?" She sounded miserable. Jake knew she got upset when he was late, but never like this.

He pulled away from the curb and drove off down the road, but he didn't take the turn home. Instead, he went to a small café in town. Anna was upset about something, and Jake planned to get to the bottom of it. When he parked the car, Anna was still in the same position. Sighing, Jake got out of the car and then helped Anna out; she refused to look at him. They walked into the café, sat down, and Jake ordered two hot chocolates—that was Anna's favorite.

When the waitress walked away, Jake turned to Anna. "Alright, Anna, enough of this—what's wrong?"

"Nothing," She mumbled and then sniffed.

Jake reached across the table and gently pulled Anna's chin up with the side of his pointer finger. When her green eyes met his brown ones, he saw tears. Her cheeks were tear-stained—she had been crying, hard. A sudden anger filled him. Something had happened to make his little girl upset and he was going to fix it. He would do anything to make Anna smile.

"Anna, what happened?"

Anna could tell by the look on Jake's face and the tone of voice he was using, he was trying very hard to control his anger. He was angry and he didn't even know the whole story yet. She couldn't even imagine what would happen if she told him everything now. There was no doubt he would overreact and do something he would later regret. It was best just not to tell, right now, at least. "Nothing happened, Dad."

"Annabelle, I know you—there _is_ something wrong, so don't you tell me otherwise!" Jake knew he was losing control of anger. That could be very dangerous, with Anna sitting so close. He needed to regain control. Taking a deep breath, Jake took Anna's small hand in his larger one and looked into her eyes, a gentle expression on his face. "Please tell me, Anna—I just want to help."

It took Anna a few seconds to fully believe that Jake had controlled himself. But when she did, she decided it was best to tell him everything. "Daddy, do you think I'm a freak?"

Jake was so appalled at the accusation he didn't know how to answer her. Anna was not a freak! How could she ever think such a thing? "Of course not, Anna—you are not a freak! Why would you think such a thing?"

"Because that's what the kids at school call me. They say I come from a freaky family so I must be a freak." The anger was bubbling back up in Jacob. "They said I should just go back to Weirdville where I'm the Loser Queen." When Anna finished, more tears were freely falling down her cheeks.

Jake clutched his fists together. His control on his anger had been tested before, but never like this. After several long breaths, Jake stood and walked over to Anna's side of the table. She scooted over and he took the seat in the booth next to her. He wrapped an around her shoulders and pulled her to his side, rubbing her back as she cried. When Anna calmed down enough, Jake pulled away from her.

"Anna, you are not a freak, your family isn't freaky, and you're not the Loser Queen of Weirdville."

"But that's what the other kids said." Anna argued, sniffing. Jake was her dad—didn't he have to believe she wasn't a freak?

"I don't care what those other kids say, Annabelle." He needed to get his point across. Anna was not a freak and he would not have her walking around believing otherwise. "They're only calling you a freak because they're jealous."

"What would they be jealous of?"

"Well," Jake pretended to think for a minute. In his mind, the better question would be what weren't they jealous of? Anna was perfect in every way, beautiful inside and out. "you're a lot prettier than the other girls." Anna giggled; Jake smiled. "You're smarter than the other kids, you're kinder than the other kids, and not to mention the fact that you're loved very much by your whole family." Jake laid a gentle kiss on the top of Anna's head.

"Thanks, Daddy," Anna mumbled, but the way she glanced down at her lap alerted Jake that she still didn't fully believe him.

"Hey," Anna looked up at him and he tapped her nose with his finger. "you're my girl."

Anna smiled and leaned her head against Jake's chest. "And you're my guy."

They sat there for a little. The waitress came and dropped off their hot chocolates and they sipped them every couple of minutes. They were about ready to pay and leave when Jake's phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Jacob, it's me." Edward. Edward almost never called him. Panic sparked inside of him.

"Edward, what's wrong? Is something wrong with Nessie? Or the twins?"

"Nessie's in labor, you need to get here now." That was all he said before he hung up, but that was all Jake needed. Jake was out of the booth in no time and pulling Anna up with him.

"What's wrong, Daddy?"

"Mommy's having the baby, Anna." He quickly laid a ten dollar bill on the table and him and Anna left the diner.

X~X~X

"The resemblance between her and Anna is incredible." Bella mused. Her new granddaughter looked so much like Anna it was insane. The only difference was the eyes—Anna had green eyes and her new granddaughter had blue eyes, which she had gotten from Renee.

"They'll probably look like twins one day." Edward joked, smiling at Anna was sitting next to her mother on the bed, watching her new little sister.

"But she doesn't have my eyes," Anna pointed out.

"No, you're still different there." Nessie mumbled.

"What are you naming her, Mommy?" Anna asked.

Nessie smiled at Jake, who was standing next to bed with the twins in his arms. "Briana Madeleine Black."

"She's just as perfect as the others, Nessie." Edward commented.

"Yeah," Bella agreed. "You two make beautiful babies."

"That we do," Nessie smiled proudly up at Jake who returned her smile. They did make beautiful babies and now they were going to raise a wonderful family.


	4. The Truth

Chapter 4

[The Truth]

"I don't see what the big deal is," Annabelle huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"The big deal is your mother and I don't want you there, Annabelle!" Jacob bellowed back at his eldest daughter.

His temper had been tested many times while his children were growing up, but lately Anna seemed determined to make him snap at her. She had been disregarding everything Jake had ever told her and ignoring every rule him and Nessie had ever placed. She was never home before her curfew, she never asked before she took her siblings anywhere, and she didn't seem to have respect for her parents anymore. Jake knew Anna was nineteen and she was going through her 'rebellious' phase, but things were starting to get out of control.

"I don't see why not!" Anna yelled in argument. Anna had not acquired much of Jake's personality—no, she was definitely more like Nessie in looks and personality—but she had inherited his temper throughout the years. "Didn't you grow up at La Push beach? Isn't your whole pack there?"

"Annabelle, this is a lot more complicated than that." Jake sighed, running a hand over his face. He didn't like fighting with Anna, or any of his kids, but lately he and Anna had been having more and more arguments.

"It's not complicated at all," Anna countered. "For some reason you abandoned everyone you grew up with, your best friends, and now you don't want us to know them either!"

That hurt. His pack _did_ have to do with the reason he didn't want his daughters at La Push beach, but it wasn't for the reasons Anna thought. "That's not true, Anna."

"Sure it's not," Anna let out a sarcastic laugh, turning and walking back to the sofa Jake was facing. She plopped down on it, too angry to go through her usual routine of daintily sitting down and then making herself comfy. "If that's not the reason, than what is," She shot at him.

Sighing, Jake turned away from her. He knew the day would come when he would have to tell his daughters why Benjamin could go to La Push beach, and they couldn't. He had just wished then when that day did come, Anna would have been in a better mood. He didn't want to admit such personal things with her temper flaring.

"I'll tell you, Anna." Jake didn't have to see Anna's face to know she was shocked. He never conceded with demands made in the heat of the moment—Nessie didn't even have such luck, and everyone knew how much of a pushover Jacob could be when it came to his precious Renesmee. "But you have to calm down, first."

Turning around, Jake saw Anna taking deep breaths to help calm herself down. In many ways, he was very thankful that Anna hadn't acquired his werewolf gene. Of course, he was happy he didn't have to worry about the pain she would face, but it also had to do with her temper. Since Anna wasn't a werewolf, she didn't feel she had a need to learn how to rein her temper in. If that gene was dominant inside of her, there's no telling what could have happened during this argument.

"Alright," Anna took one last breath, and then met her father's eyes. "I'm calm now."

Jake nodded, walking over the sofa. He sat himself next to Anna, but didn't say anything. Just before Anna was going to bug him to start his explanation, he spoke up. "Anna, can you do something for me?"

Anna nodded. "What is it?"

"I need to time to think of the best way to put everything." Anna nodded again. "While I'm thinking, can you please go get your sisters?"

Nodding, Anna got up from the couch and left the room, in search of her sisters. Jake sighed and leaned back against the couch. How was he going to tell this to them? He knew his daughters inside and out, and they wouldn't understand him and Nessie's reasons or motives. He had to try and explain this to them in a way that would make sense, just like when he had explained to all of them why Ben couldn't go near the Cullens when he reached a certain year of age. Sighing once again, Jake leaned his elbows on his knees. There was no easy way for him to confess his thoughts, so he'd just go with what he thought was best.

Soon, Anna walked back into the room. Ashleigh was following close behind her, Briana's hand locked in hers. A ghost of a smile ran over his lips. Even though all his girls were getting older—they were all in their teens now—they were all still very close to each other, and Ben.

"I got them," Anna mumbled as she once again plopped down on the couch, next to Jacob. Ashleigh settled for sitting in the armchair that was facing the sofa, and Briana sat at her feet.

Nodding, Jake took a deep breath and then launched into his explanation. "Girls, there's something about werewolves…something that, until now, you haven't been allowed to know." All his daughters exchanged looks, and then Ashleigh spoke the thought that was evidently on all of their minds.

"This thing," Ashleigh paused momentarily to swallow heavily. "does Ben know, about it?" Jake's quick hesitation had already answered the question, but the Black girls knew there was no doubt when their father nodded. Anna and Briana looked slightly betrayed—Ben was their brother, if he knew something they didn't, he should have told them. Ashleigh, however, just looked miserable. Letting out a deep breath, she sank deeper into the armchair. "Oh."

Jake decided it was best to push forward with his explanation. As soon as they knew what he was talking about, they would understand why Ben hadn't been allowed to tell them. "Well, there's a certain thing that happens when a werewolf," Pausing, Jake searched his mind for the right word. "finds his soul mate." He continued after a moment. "It's instantaneous and irreversible."

"What do you mean, it's instantaneous?" Briana asked.

"I think the question you should be asking, Bri, is what does instantaneous mean?" Anna suggested.

Jake chuckled. "It means that as soon as a werewolf sees his, or her, soul mate, they know they belong together." Before any of his daughters could jump in with another question, he went on. "Suddenly, the only person holding said werewolf to the Earth is their soul mate."

"Okay, so this seems very powerful, right?" Jake nodded at Anna, telling her she had assumed correctly. "Does this have a name? And what does it have to do with why we can't go to La Push beach?"

"The name of this love is imprinting. It is very powerful and a werewolf would be anything for his imprint—a lover, a friend, a brother or sister, you name it, they'll be it." Jake paused; this was the part that he knew they wouldn't understand. "Your mother and I both agreed it was best to keep you girls away from La Push, so you wouldn't get imprinted on."

"That's the whole reason—just because you don't want us to fall in love?" Anna was outraged. She had thought there would actually be a secret, but it was actually just her father being the same overprotective fool he'd always been.

"I don't expect you girls to understand that part of this, but you had a right to know the reason; that's it." Jake stood up, stretched, and then looked each of his girls in the eye. "Now, take this information how you will, but don't be mad at Ben for not telling you about imprinting. He was doing that as a favor to me." With that, Jake walked away.

Anna, Ashleigh, and Briana stayed in the living room for a while after their father left. Everything was starting to make sense to them. Ashleigh didn't remember as well as Anna did, but she knew that for the first two years of her life, she had lived on the Reservation in the house Jake had grown up in. She was too young to know why they moved and Jake had never told Anna the exact reason. One day, he just came home after finishing his day at the new garage him and his buddies were opening—they would be opening soon and Jake had spent more and more time there to get everything ready. Nessie and the kids had been in the living room, one of Anna's favorite shows blaring on the TV. Anna was glued to the television screen, Ben and Ashleigh were playing quietly in the corner together, and Nessie was rocking Briana on the couch. Jake had announced that they would be moving within the next couple of days. They had ended up not going too far; they just moved into the middle of the forest. But it was far enough from La Push and far enough from the Cullen's house. The Black family had lived there ever since.

"Well," Briana broke the silence. She glanced at Anna, who was quietly fuming at the carpet, and then at Ashleigh, who still looked miserable. When she spoke, however, they both abandoned their thoughts and focused on her. "I always knew Dad was crazy."

Despite the thoughts that had been running through both of their minds, Anna and Ashleigh laughed; they couldn't agree with their little sister more. "Yeah, he is." Anna sighed. After the laughter died down, she decided to confess something to her sister. "I went to La Push today."

"That explains why we just had that whole talk," Briana observed.

"How was it?" Ashleigh had always wanted to go with Ben—he had told her time and time again that it was a great experience—but she didn't dare disobey her father. She left that job up to Anna.

Anna shrugged. "It was a beach, but," She raised her eyebrows and both her sisters leaned into hear what she was about to confide in them. "I did meet a guy."

"Who," Briana almost shouted.

Glaring slightly at Briana, Anna continued. "His name is Seth, and he was really sweet. And totally cute." Anna and Briana giggled at that last part, but something about the name 'Seth' bothered Ashleigh.

"Didn't Dad once tell us there a guy in is pack named Seth?" Ashleigh asked.

After thinking about it for a minute, Anna's face whitened and her green eyes got wider. "Oh, shit."


	5. Twin Bonding

Chapter 5

[Twin Bonding]

Briana was the first to break the silence after Anna and Ashleigh's realization. "Dad's going to murder you, Anna!"

"That's not true," Anna countered. "He's going to murder Seth."

Both Anna and Briana laughed, but Ashleigh just stood up. She wasn't entirely in a joking mood, and she didn't feel that joking about some innocent werewolf's death was all the funny, in the first place. Besides, she still had other matters to deal with, matters that were more important than making jokes at Seth's expense.

"Where are you going, Ash?" Briana asked, her giggling still evident in her voice, but slowly fading away.

"I have things to take care of," And with that, Ashleigh turned on her heel, and briskly left the room.

She suspected that one of her sisters had told another joke, because as she retreated down the hallway, she could hear both girls strike into another chorus of laughter. Her eyes rolled slightly of their own accord. She loved her sisters, but they didn't share the same sense of humor. In fact, in many ways she was nothing like her sisters. Shaking her head, she pushed those thoughts away. She would deal with them another day. Right now, she had other things that had to be taken care of.

She came to a stop in front of the door she knew so well—since they moved into that house, she had spent every day in that room. There was sign on the door that warned all that dared to enter to knock first, but Ashleigh knew she was the exception to the rule. She pushed the door opened lightly and slowly—even though she didn't have to knock, she still didn't want to just barge in. When she saw Ben lying on his bed, his laptop on his lap, she pushed the door open completely. She shut the door behind her and Ben glanced up from the computer screen, a smile forming on his face when he saw who it was.

"Hey, Ash," He greeted, waving her over to the bed.

As she approached, he sat up, placing the laptop on the bedside table. Ashleigh carefully sat next to him. As soon as she was settled, Ben lazily draped an arm over her shoulder, the way he had been doing since they were six-years-old. Typically, Ashleigh would lay her head against him, and she didn't disappoint.

"What's up?" Ben asked, gently stroking his sister's arm.

Ashleigh had to smile, even with the current thoughts in her head. Ben always knew her. She hadn't said one word since she walked in the room, and he already knew something was on her mind. Ben and Ashleigh were close, almost to the point where they were joined at the hip. They knew each other inside and out. With just one look, the other could guess how their twin was feeling, thinking, or what move they planned to perform next.

"Dad just had a talk with Anna, Bri, and me." She started. Ben nodded, urging her on. But suddenly, she decided to change her topic into another opening into the story. "Anna went to La Push beach today."

Ben's brow furrowed slightly, but he nodded. He was used to Ashleigh changing topics during a conversation, but he could almost always see the connection. This time, there didn't seem to be one. Had Jake had another talk with the girls reinforcing the rules of them not going to La Push? Maybe their talk had been him grounding all of the girls for Anna's mistake? Another thought slowly crept into his mind, but he knew that couldn't be true. He knew his father, and telling the girls the truth behind the rule that they couldn't go to La Push was something he knew his father would never do. Realizing he wasn't going to work this puzzle out on his own, Ben bit into Ashleigh's bait. "Oh, did she now?"

Ashleigh just nodded, tucked a lock of her black, wavy hair behind her ear, and then wrapped her arms around herself; instinctively, Ben tightened the arm that still rested on Ashleigh's shoulder. "Her and Dad had a big fight about it…did you hear it?"

Shaking his head, Ben used his free hand to scratch his chin. Where was Ashleigh going with this? "No, I was listening to some music on my laptop before you came in."

Ashleigh nodded again. "Bri and I heard it…it sounded really nasty. But then, all of a sudden, the yelling stopped and then Anna came to get us. She said Dad had something to tell us." She paused there to gather her thoughts, and then continued. "And can you guess what Dad told us?" Ben only shook his head, knowing Ashleigh didn't really want an answer. "He told us why we weren't allowed at La Push, can you believe it?"

So the thought he had pushed away had been correct. Jacob Black had finally given in and admitted the truth. Another thought hit him, though. If Jake had told them about imprinting, had he also told them that Ben had known about it the whole time? "Did he say anything else?" When Ashleigh didn't say anything, Ben had his answer and he suddenly knew why Ashleigh came to talk to him about this. "Ash," He pulled his arm from her shoulder, rearranging them both so Ben's arms were on Ashleigh's shoulders and she was looking him directly in the eye. "I swear, I didn't want to keep this from you. If I could have told you, I would have, but Dad forbade me too. He said he would tell all of you when the time was right."

Ashleigh nodded. "I know, he told us that too." For a moment, the room was deathly quiet while both twins got their thoughts together. "I'm not mad at you, Ben."

"You're not?" He was shocked, though he shouldn't have been. He and Ashleigh had never had a fight and they were never mad at each other. Of course, until all of this, Ben had never kept anything from his sister.

"No," Ashleigh smiled. "But Anna and Bri are."

Ben just rolled his eyes. He could care less what Anna and Briana thought about the situation. That wasn't all true; they were his sisters, and their opinions did matter to him, just not as much as Ashleigh's. Flopping back on the bed, Ben pulled his twin to his side and they lay there, just enjoying the company of each other. One of the things Ben and Ashleigh liked so much about being twins was having a built-in best friend.

"Ben?"

"Hmm," Ben answered, his eyes drifting closed.

"I love you."

"I love you, too, sissy." And with that said, both twins fell asleep into a nap.

X~X~X

"So, are you ever going to see Seth again?" Briana asked her older sister after both girls stopped joking and giggling about their father's temper.

"I don't know," Anna confessed in a sigh. "I want to, but Dad will never let me go back to La Push if he knew I wanted to see Seth."

"Maybe Dad doesn't have to know." A devilish smile made its way onto Briana's face. It was no secret in the family that both Anna and Briana were quite the troublemakers, and when they got together, they could pull anything over their parents' eyes.

Anna considered her sister's offer for a minute. A sneak-out would work in her favor. She could arrange everything so that neither of her parents would know and she would get to see Seth again, which is what she really wanted. But, she thought, Briana would want to come. She knew her little sister almost as well as she knew herself. Briana would not help her pull this off unless she got to go to La Push beach, too. And then there was Ashleigh. She knew Ashleigh wouldn't want to be a part of the plan, but the younger girl had always wanted to go to La Push, and Anna would feel bad if she didn't at least _invite_ her along. Sneaking three girls out of the house would be more difficult than just getting herself out, but it wouldn't be impossible. And with Briana helping her, there was nothing she couldn't do.

"Alright, Bri, I'll take you up on that."

"You will?"

Anna nodded and returned Briana's devilish smirk. "Let's start planning our escape."


End file.
